Wild Heroes
by KageDark
Summary: Five boys wake up confused and without any memory, in an unknown location that is being threatened by an evil named Calamity Ganon that destroys everything that finds. None of them are sure if they can stop it, but one thing is certain: Nothing will prevent them to discover who they are. (AU of Breath of The Wild with Four Sword Plus)
1. Chapter 1: Awakening

_**...**_

 _ **... Open your eyes...**_

 _ **Open your eyes...**_

 _ **Open your eyes.**_

The first thing he saw was a bright light, slowly taking the shape of a shiny object that he didn't know very well describe

Soon after, he felt something wet around his body - _water, perhaps?_ \- being drained around him, leaving him free to move his body numb.

What was happening?

Who was that voice?

Where he was?

...

... Who is he?

 _ **Wake Up, Green.**_

Green…

... That's his name?

Slowly he began to sit down and examine the place. It looked like a cave, but full of symbols, pillars, and strange glows that made his head even more confused than it already was. Looking down, he realized he was lying on some kind of stone bed with the same symbols on the walls.

Still confused, he left the place he was sitting. He took a few reeling steps before he could stand upright, beginning to look at his body in contemplation, analyzing every possible part of himself in an attempt to understand the situation he was in.

His skin was clear, although he wasn't sure if it was natural or if he had stayed too long without sunlight, and he also had a strong physical, not too muscular, but also not too skinny. Touching his hair, he realized that he had a light brown, almost yellow tone, and seemed to be of medium size. He also noticed that his left hand had a strange symbol of three triangles clustered, one on top of the other two.

After analyzing himself, he looked around again, noticing a small shiny pedestal near what appeared to be a gate. Curious, he approached the object and gently touched it. As if reacting to his touch, the glow grew stronger and the central part of the pedestal rose slightly, a strange rectangular object being lifted upright. The object had the same symbols of this cave and also the one of an eye with a tear, the pupil shining in blue.

 _ **That is a**_ _ **Sheikah Slate**_ _ **. Take it, Green. It will help guide your after your long slumber.**_

Even still a little suspicious, Green _-if_ _the voice calls it that, it must be he's name_ -does as the voice said, carefully picking up the mysterious object and examining it. He squeezed one of the side buttons of the object and it seemed to come to life, with a screen showing the same symbol of the eye.

That thing was very strange ...

... And yet it was a little familiar.

Distracted as he was, Green wouldn't have realized that the gate had been opened if not for the noise it made. Turning to the other room, Green noticed that he had the same symbols as the room he was in, but he didn't have the stone bed, but several crates, barrels, and a few chests scattered where he was.

Barrels and chests that he opened without a second thought and won a set of old clothes and a small bag.

Still, it was way better than being naked as he was.

Satisfied with the equipment, Green continued his exploration in the closed room, stopping when he noticed a pedestal identical to the one he took from the Sheikah Slate, something he quickly approached.

 _ **Hold the Sheikah Slate up to the pedestal. That will show you the way.**_

Looking at the object that was now on his belt, he carefully removed it and did as the female voice said, placing the object near the pedestal.

 **Authenticating…**

 **Sheikah Slate confirmed.**

The large, thick doors began to open, bringing a strong glow to the dark room that forced Green to cover his eyes for a few seconds before getting accustomed. A staircase stretched out in front of him, heading toward the light.

 _ **Green… You are the light – our light- that must shine upon Hyrule once again.**_

 _ **Now go…**_

"... Wa ... Wait!" Green yelled, possibly speaking for the first time in a while, since his voice was a little hoarse disuse. "Who are you? What's happening ?!"

For a moment, nothing happened, and Green was sure nothing would happen again when the voice answered, looking a little surprised and distressed.

 _ **Green ... I'd like to explain everything ... But I can't now ... Please go to the point marked ... Find the others.**_

 _ **Hyrule needs you more than ever ...**_

 _ **Our last hope ...**_

And then, everything was silent again.

Green stood still for a few more seconds, wondering if the voice would speak to him again, but nothing happened. A little disappointed, but also worried about the owner of the voice, Green began to move on, down the stairs and rapidly climbing the other part of the broken staircase.

The first thing he noticed when he left was the sound of birds singing, then a breeze that carried the scent of nature. Without wasting time, he ran to the end of the place where he was in an attempt to locate. His eyes widened as he surveyed the landscape.

"Where… I am?"

He had no idea, but wherever he went, he was tall enough to get an incredible view: A great forest was below its location, after it had uneven terrain, full of plains and plateaus that stretched to several distant mountains and a large volcano looking ready to erupt. And right in the direction he was looking, there was also what appears to be a ruined castle.

The scenery was breathtaking.

If he hadn't been so confused and lost, he would have taken advantage of the landscape.

Turning his head to the right, Green noticed that the landscape was almost repeated, but without many forests or volcanoes. It had a building similar to the castle it had seen, but much closer, and looking more like an ancient temple.

In the same direction, even closer to him, there was a campfire burning in a hollow part of the small mountain behind him.

Green blinked in confusion. A Campfire? Campfire means there's someone around, right? Maybe he wasn't the only one in that strange place.

Perhaps the owner of the voice that guided him was there.

Green started to run toward the campfire, stopping three times to pick up some mushrooms he found on the way. He stopped by the fire, looking around to see if he could find anyone.

Green sat up, a little disappointed that he couldn't find anyone. Maybe the person went to get more firewood? Or get more food? In any case, it was very likely that the person would return soon. Green stretched a little, eating one of his mushrooms, and then biting into an apple that was near the fire, it was kind of burned, but it was still good.

"I BEG YOUR PARDON! I do believe that is my baked apple!"

A sudden male voice made Green choke on the piece of apple, he began to cough as a large hand tapped lightly on his back before a small canteen was offered to Green, who quickly picked up and drank the most, finally managing to swallow the apple and recovering enough to look at the owner of the voice.

He was a big old man, both in height and breadth, using a clothes and a hood that covered his entire body, excerpt from his eyes with a pale and his big white beard. He also seemed to use a stick with a lamp to lean on.

"I ... I'm sorry! I didn't know it was yours!" Green defended himself, beating himself mentally for his stupidity, of course this apple was from this man! An apple would not cook alone!

"Ooh oh, no need to worry! I who should ask forgiveness, I could not resist pulling your leg." The old man said, sitting on the other side of the fire. "Please help yourself. An apple and an open flame make for a succulent treat."

"Again ... I'm sorry." Green whispered, returning to sit, not remembering when he was raised. The old man gave a small smile.

"As I said: No need to worry." The old man started to stare at him, as if analyzing him. "It is a bit strange to see another non-monster soul in these part. Who are you, young man?"

"I'd also like to know ..." Green sighed, feeling comfortable enough to open up with this old man. "And you? Do you know where we are?"

"Answering a question with a question. That is fair enough. "The older man laughed. "As I cannot imagine our meeting to be a simple coincidence ... I shall tell you. "HHe stood up, taking a few steps before stopping. Green followed. "This is the Great Plateau. According to legend, this is the birthplace of the entire kingdom of Hyrule." With his staff he pointed to the ruined building Green had seen earlier." That temple there... Long ago, it was the site of many sacred ceremonies. Ever since the decline of the kingdom 100 years ago, it is abandoned, in a state of decay. Yet another forgotten entity. A mere ghost of its former self... "

"This ... is very sad and depressing." Green commented, generating another little laugh from the old man. A sudden thought arose in Green. "... Do you think I should go there? I'm looking for answers."

"Who can know?" The old man sat down again by the fire. "I shall be here for some time, if you need anything, you'll be welcome to come back here. And be careful, there's a lot of monsters around here."

"Thank you sir ... And sorry for the apple again."

Green heard the old man's laughter one last time before beginning his journey to that strange temple.


	2. Chapter 2: Green

Green was confused.

Maybe that's why he thought it was a good idea to steal all the monster equipment he just knocked out.

And also all his accessories and start acting like them.

The old man wasn't joking when he said that this place was full of monsters: As he approached the ruined temple, he came across several strange red creatures that he later discovered to be Bokoblins. Disarmed and practically helpless as he was, it would be impossible to defeat any of these monsters, even if they were weak.

Then, when one of these Bokoblins left his group, he took the first weapon he could - _a tree branch_ \- and hit him with all his might on the monster's head, which fainted. But for Green's bad luck, he wasn't as far away as he thought and one of the monsters was checking the noise he heard.

That was how, in panic and unintentionally, he had the brilliant idea of using the monster's outfit and pretending to be one of them.

He managed to get dressed with the stolen equipment and approach the other Bokoblin in record time, all the while sweating cold and beating himself mentally for his stupidity. Luckily, Bokoblins are pretty dumb, so the monster just stared at him strangely and sniffed him a few times before leaving him alone, finding no threat in him.

Almost certain, Green finally realized that his Sheikah Slate was glowing faintly, as if to warn him of something. It was at this moment that he discovered that the Sheikah Slate had a map, which was half-erased, and that map pointed to a more northerly location from where he was.

Although he is still a bit curious about the nearby temple and the enemies are stupid, Green doesn't want to risk his luck, so he started walking to the point.

Green passed through another part of the ruins near the temple, with an open chest, before finding some other Bokoblins roasting meat of some kind of animal. Maybe he have looked too much for meat, since one of the Bokoblins approached him and, after examining him, gave him a piece of the roast. Not knowing very well what to do, he just nodded, which Bokoblin repaid before returning to his position, and ate his meal before returning on his way.

Since he was disguised as a monster, he had little trouble getting to the point of the map, the real problem being what the point meant. Green passed the point twice before realizing that yes, those rocks had no peculiar shape, but they were hiding some kind of buried house or something. Checking the map again to be sure, Green stepped inside, realizing at the time that he had the object similar to the one he received from his Sheikah Slate.

"Maybe ..." Carefully, ignoring all logic and common sense, Green pulled out his Sheikah Slate and set it on the pedestal. As he imagined, the object fit perfectly into the hole in the pedestal and it began to react.

 **Sheikah Tower activated.**

 **Please, watch for falling rocks.**

"Wait, what?"

Suddenly, the earth begins to tremble, which causes Green to fall to the ground. He began to question his action and what it would cost him when some symbols on the wall of the house began to glow and it began to rise, destroying the stones that surrounded her in the process.

No ... This wasn't a house.

That was the tower that the pedestal spoke!

Small stones began to fall near where Green was, who quickly came back from the center where no stones had fallen. He found himself getting louder and louder, and began to feel the temperature dropping, although it might be because of the monster's clothing he uses.

Finally after what seemed like hours, but Green doubted it had been more than a minute, the tower stabilized, possibly having reached the pinnacle of the size it could have.

Green sat for a few seconds, trying to regain his balance, as the large stone on the pedestal began to glow in several symbols similar to the one of the place that awoke, concentrating on the drawing of the eye that was at the end of the stone. He stood up, noting that the eye began to create a drop as bright as the symbols before falling into his Sheikah Slate, which seemed to resonate with everything that occurred.

 **Regional map extracted.**

His Sheikah Slate was then repositioned for him to pick up, Green quickly went to look at the map, flashing in surprise to note that the Great Plateau region was now well-detailed, with a tower symbol in the place where it was and several others scattered elsewhere in the faded part of the map.

Without further distraction, Green began to look around. The tower was really great, since he could easily see the top of the Great Plateau mountain. He also noticed that on the Great Plateau there was a forest, several rocky sites and apparently more ruins than he had imagined. Looking beyond the region that he was, he also saw silhouettes of towers similar to what he was in, scattered around the places he had seen when he came out of the cave.

What really interested him was the castle.

Now that he could see better, he noticed a strange dark energy surrounding the castle, almost as if the energy were trying to devour the place. In the middle of that energy, there was a light, strong enough for Green to even notice where he was from, he seemed to be facing dark energy.

For some reason, that light was familiar and welcoming, awakening a strange protective feeling of Green over the light.

The dark energy seemed cruel and frightening to him, but it made sense for him to feel that way, since Green was sure to have seen the silhouette of a monster trapped in that thing.

It must be just him imagination ...

... But something told him it was not.

Coming out of his little trance, Green found nothing more interesting in that tower, then sought an exit from there. The descent wasn't as cool and terrifying as the climb, as he simply found an opening, possibly for people to climb, and began to descend to the lowest point. The tower had several resting points, so it wasn't difficult, just annoying.

As soon as he stepped on the floor, Green heard the old man's voice from afar. He quickly looked around, blinking in confusion when he couldn't find the old man. The voice again appeared, this time from above, Green turned in that direction and gave a surprised little sigh as he saw the old man gliding toward him using some item that Green wasn't quite sure what it was.

"My, my... It would seem we have quite the enigma here." The old man remarked as he stopped in front of Green, the item fading from the young man's eyes as he blinked. "This tower and others just like it have erupted across the land, one after another. It is almost as though... a long-dormant power has awoken quite suddenly. " The way the old man started to stare at Green made him a little nervous. "If you do not mind me asking… Did anything… odd occur while you were atop that tower?"

"…"Green didn't know for sure what to answer, he had indeed something strange happened, but nothing that seemed very disturbing to him. In the end, Green decided to just be quiet as he looked at the old man.

Staying speechless gave him a sense of family discomfort.

"… It seems I have some work to do as far as earning your trust goes. I suppose that is understandable. "The old man said when he noticed the young man's lack of response. Green looked a little regretful, but the old man simply turned and pointed toward the castle with the dark energy. "I assume you caught sight of that atrocity enshrouding the castle."

"... Yes ... It seems even that is alive ..." Green's comment caused the old man's humorless laughter, worrying even more of Green.

"That is because it is alive." The old man's expression darkened as he stared at the castle. "That… is **Calamity Ganon**."

As if acting in response to the name, the darkness of the castle again gained a form of beast for a few seconds. A chill that erupted all over Green's body made him move uncomfortably, and without realizing it, he gripped his stomach, as if trying to protect this specific body part from an impending attack.

"One hundred years ago, that vile entity brought the kingdom of Hyrule to ruin. It appeared suddenly and destroyed everything in its path. So many innocent lives were lost in its wake." The old man explained, his expression seemed to be from someone he had seen happen before his eyes. "For a century, the very symbol of our kingdom, Hyrule Castle, has managed to contain that evil. But just barely." He closed his eyes. "There it festers, building its strength for the moment it will unleash its blight upon the land once again. It would appear that moment is fast approaching..."

Green didn't say anything, he had nothing to say, and even if he did, he didn't know if he could say everything he wanted. He had no idea who he was or where he came from, and now he has just discovered - _or reminisces_ \- that this apparent place of his birth would be destroyed? That was too much for a young man who is relearning about the world.

But ... There was one thing he was sure ...

"... He was responsible for my loss of memory." Green whispered, surprised at the conviction his voice carried with those words.

It was the only logical thing for Green at the moment, that or to have hit his head very hard, which Green doubted seriously, since that cave that woke up was too much for a simple head-banging. But there were some problems with this new theory: Why would a creature like that be willing to erase all the memories of someone like him? Did he have something special that that thing was afraid of? And why exactly did he wake up in that strange cave instead of a simple house?

In any case, it was quite likely that that thing, Calamity Ganon, is responsible for his loss of memory.

"I must ask you, courageous one ..." Green shifted from his thoughts and turned to the old man, who again had that look that bothered the younger. "Do you intend to make your way to the castle?"

"... Yes ... Yes, I want to go there." He said after a moment's hesitation. "I need to go there, no matter how difficult it is. I feel that I will find the answers to my questions if I go."

"I had a feeling you would say that." The old man laughed a little, looking forward again. "Here, on this isolated plateau, we are surrounded on all sides by steep cliffs, with no way down. If you were to try to jump off, well ... no death could be more certain. Or more foolish." This information took all the determination out of Green's face, leaving him pale and hesitant, thinking about how to leave this place without ending at the right death. The older man seemed to notice Green's apprehension as he said, "Of course, if you had a paraglider like mine, that would be quite another story."

"A ... A what?" Green's confusion was well stamped on his face.

"Oho! Piqued your interest, have I? Yes, I didn't come soaring down here on my own feathers wings, you know!" The old man gave a small laugh, before a mischievous glow appeared in his eyes. "Worry not – I will happily agree to give you my paraglider. But not for nothing." Green swallowed dry, discreetly staring at his monster clothing he still wore, he was not sure he had anything that man would like. "Let's see now... How about I trade for a bit of treasure that slumbers nearby?"

Green raised his eyebrow slightly, his unspoken question hovering in the air. The old man began to walk in a certain direction, followed by the Green, until he was on a small hill made by the rise of the tower.

"Do you see that structure there? That one shining with a strange light?" He pointed to a stone-like structure that was glowing gently in shades of orange at the top and blues below. "It began to glowing at the exact moment those towers rose up from the ground. I would think such a place might house some sort of treasure, wouldn't you?" The old man looked at Green with a small smile. "Treasure for the paraglider. A fair exchange, I believe."

"I ... I suppose it's true ..." Green commented uncertainly. He took a few steps forward before stopping and looking back at the old man. "What if ... What if I do not find anything there? What am I supposed to do?"

"Well, in that case, I think we will have to see another kind of exchange." The older man replied, still smiling. "Although, I am sure that there is at least something important ... or two."

Not quite understanding what it meant, but seeing no sense in trying to figure out standing there, Green started to go to his new goal, past some large holes with water and submerged ruins, a broken bridge and strange, apparently rusting creatures until they arrived the strange structure, raising his eyebrow as he noticed again the symbols similar to the cave that came out.

"What the hell does that mean?" It had to have some meaning, it couldn't be just random drawings. That left the mystery of where he woke up even worse, since obviously it was something very important and Green didn't know what could be so special in itself. Even a little annoyed, Green stood in front of the structure, getting even more confused by what he saw.

It was open. That was the most obvious thing to notice. The little family pillar was glowing blue, just like a circle in front of the structure, and it had a kind of strange gate. Gate that was open, giving Green the sight of a tiny room with another blue circle, in a tone stronger than he stepped, with the symbol of the eye.

A part of Green told him to get out of there as fast as possible, to come up with an excuse that found nothing to the old man and ask if there was anything else for them to change. The other party told him to venture anyway, that maybe he would find something good instead of something bad and that he should take a risk.

A third, much smaller, but much stronger than the others, told him that something familiar and reliable was in that place and that he should find it.

Sighing, Green again ignored all the logic and common sense he had and stood in the center of the bright blue eye, regretting bitterly as the circle began to descend, taking him to another unknown place, something he was beginning to get used to.

Luckily, nothing bad happened, it was a quick and quiet descent. Green stepped off the platform and looked around. The place seemed to be a great room, again with similarities to the place of its awakening, but much more spacious. He also had another spot for his Sheikah Slate, which glowed gently. He also had two large, heavy metal plates in the middle of the room.

One in fact, the other was on the other side of the room, as if it had been rudely thrown, revealing a passage that the metals hid.

Green also thinks he heard echoes of footsteps in that passage.

Green swallowed dry, heading toward the pillar, being surprised to realize that the pillar was activated and did nothing with his Sheikah Slate. This only made Green even more uncomfortable, having no idea what exactly he would be facing at that location and apparently unable to use his precious and mysterious item.

What he knew was that he wasn't prepared at all against it.

He descended the hidden passage, a stream on his right side accompanying him until he reached the stairs at the end of the corridor. Green barely stepped onto the stairs before a sound of something breaking came from above, making him even more agitated.

Green started to slowly climb the stairs, pulling for the first time the weapon he had taken from Bokoblin. When he reached the top, he noticed that there was a passageway with several blocks of stones around, as if they had just fallen.

He only had a second to look at it before his instinct told him to roll to the side, which he did, narrowly escaping a blow from a blade. Green quickly stood up and stared at his opponent, his eyes widening when he noticed that it wasn't a monster he was facing.

A young man, much like Green and possibly the same age, had laid him in a mixture of confusion and anger. He had hair in a slightly darker shade than Green, and his eyes are also in a dark shade of blue. His outfit was torn his sleeves and showed his muscular arms that made Green feel a bit depressed with his own.

The mysterious person also carried a large axe.

"What the heck ..." He growled before and pointed the axe at Green. "HEY! Who the hell are you? And what is this ridiculous outfit you're wearing?" Green blinked, quickly looking back at his outfit before facing his opponent. "Don't tell me you're behind those ridiculous puzzles, are you? Well, let me warn you about something ..."

His pose grew more aggressive, gripping the shaft of the ax as he groaned.

"... What I'm really good is a close combat!"

The opponent jumped, his axe raised toward Green, who quickly deflected and stayed away from his opponent. The opponent tossed his axe, which Green nearly dodged, swallowing hard when he noticed the axe sticking to the wall and cracking a little with the force of the impact.

He had no doubt that a blow from his opponent was sufficient for him to perish.

Before any of them could do anything, a strange sound began to echo in the room, sounding like its Sheikah Slate when activated, before another person, looking a little smaller and younger than the other two, jumped from the blocks with a panic-stricken face and jumped to one of the adjacent walls, trying to protect himself from something.

"GET DOWN !"

It was when a beam of light appeared from where the new boy arrived, the two fighters quickly ducked, avoiding a deadly laser beam that left marks on the wall opposite the entrance. A strange metal creature with bright orange details left where most of the blocks had been split in half, with three legs similar to an octopus.

The blue part of the center began to glow. Green, merely following his instinct, threw his weapon at the new strange enemy, who was destroyed for leisure and made a small cloud of smoke, before running toward the ax of the wall and, with some difficulty, pulling it.

"Hey! You!" The muscular guy looked at Green who threw the weapon. "CATCH !"

The muscular guy easily picked up and examined his weapon, frowning at the crack in the blade. The enemy began to charge again when the muscled guy grunted something in anger and hurled the axe against his opponent in the bright blue spot, apparently making him blind as well.

"ATTACK, NOW!" The muscled man shouted. It seemed to be a sign to the youngest, since he, who had a determined look now, took the weapon that was carried on his back and jumped against the opponent, putting his weapon in the middle of the creature.

With all that damage, the creature began to throw sparks all over the body and stagger until it fell. The smaller one withdrew his weapon and left the creature close before it exploded, several metal objects flying all over the place.

The three of them were silent for a few seconds, still absorbing everything that happened in those few seconds.

"... Wow, I don't think we'll ever be able to get rid of these Guardians, am I right?" The younger commented on the other, with a small nervous smile as he spoke. The muscled guy nodded, a frown forming as he stared at the broken axe in the wreckage.

"And there goes another weapon that I had ..."

"Well, maybe if you stop using them recklessly, they'll last longer." The little one hummed, which caused him to get punched in the head by his companion. It must not have really hurt, or he was already used to it, as the boy laughed as he massaged the place.

Now that Green noticed, the boy was no smaller than the first young man, he was only slimmer and younger-looking, giving this strange impression of being smaller than the other. The boy had long light blond hair tied and eyes in a tone that resembled the deep waters of a lake, the weapon he carried on his back was a rusty halberd, a type of spear with a small ax near its tip.

Green has no idea how he knows what kind of weapon it is, he just knows.

"... If you two don't mind ..." Green began, catching the attention of the two young men. "Who are you, and why are you two here?"

"We could ask you the same thing, don't you think, Mr. I'll Wear the Clothes of a Monster?" The muscled guy replied, with a suspicious look, but his posture was slightly relaxed. The boy examined Green for a few seconds before sighing.

"... You have a Sheikah Slate." He commented, leaving Green and the muscular guy surprised.

"Do you know this item?" Green asked hopefully, showing the item to the other two. Maybe they had the answers to his questions.

The two strangers stared at each other for a few seconds before grabbing something at the waist, the muscled all the time mumbling something. Green's eyes widened at the sight he had received.

Two other items, exactly like his Sheikah Slate, were being charged by the other two.

"Let me guess: You woke up without any remembrance of who you are, in a very strange place full of runes, where you found this item while being guided by a female voice, correct?" The boy's accuracy just made Green even more shocked. The boy smiled and turned to his partner. "I think we can trust him, do you remember what the voice said? ' _The Sheikah Slates will keep you all together'_. If he has one of those, I see no reason why we should not be together at least."

The muscled guy's left eye contracted, and for a second it seemed to be about to explode. But he closed his eyes and took a deep breath for a moment before concentrating on Green. He sighed angrily and began to grumble as he reached for something in his bag, making Green tilt his head curiously.

And he received as a reward a set of clothes being brutally thrown in his face.

"If we're going to walk together, then try to dress like a normal person. I refuse to walk with a person so rudely dressed." As he said this, he took a few steps forward and stood with his back turned to Green in an attempt to give him privacy. The boy repeated the act and approached his partner while Green shifted.

"... By the way, I'm Red and he's Blue." The boy, Red, introduced himself, still with his back to Green. "I'm telling you this now so you do not come to stay with us without knowing our names, as happened to Blue when we met." Blue punched Red again in the head, looking a little stronger, since Red actually complained about the punch.

Green smiled, watching the two discussed as he adjusted him blouse. He did not know why, but the interaction between them gave him a sense of comfort and familiarity. However, he also had a feeling that something was not yet complete, as if a puzzle were missing pieces.

... But it's okay.

They will find what or who is missing, Green felt it.

Then, with a smile on his face, Green approached the two and gently placed his hands on their shoulders, effectively stopping the discussion and drawing the attention of his two teammates.

"I'm Green, it's nice to meet you both."


	3. Chapter 3: Blue

Blue was angry.

Apparently, that wasn't news to him, since he noticed that he was stressed with small things, even appearing to be something futile.

Being attacked by a rusty killer robot that released a laser beam, however, was too much.

Blue rolled behind a stone, shielding herself from one more attack from the creature. He grunted as he thought of a way to get rid of that thing he had no idea what it was ... He had no idea who he was, let alone this thing! The only thing he knew was that he was awakened by a strange voice in this strange place, being guided by a strange object, while strange creatures wanted to kill him for some strange reason.

All this was so ... Irritating.

The creature stopped its attack, possibly thinking that it had got rid of the Blue, and returned to use the red light to aim at any next living being. Blue took this chance to sneak up on the creature and draw the rusty sword he found. When the creature turned to him again, Blue quickly ran and plunged his sword into what appeared to be the creature's neck.

As the young man expected, the weapon broke at the moment of impact with the creature, what he did not expect was that the creature would begin to release sparks and his head began to spin frantically. Alarmed, Blue ran to his hideout again and could hear an explosion as he crouched down.

When he stood up, he just saw the creature and its ancient weapon destroyed in millions of pieces. Blue grunted a little for missing another gun, but it was not his fault! It was their ridiculous weapons that could not handle a blow without being destroyed!

... Well, maybe it was a little his fault, since he can not control right the strength he puts in the blows. Something inside him, almost like an instinct, he said never to hold himself in a fight or he would end up dead.

But fighting with all your might also ends up in another type of death ... Death to the weapons he uses.

Sighing, Blue continued his walk as he tried to find some living soul who did not want to kill him, and preferably not that strange old man he'd met. This man made the young man shudder in such a way that he did not want to be around for too long.

And then, all of a sudden, everything was upside down.

Blue blinked, confused as to what had happened, until he realized something was on his right foot and suspended him in one of the nearby trees. When he finally understood what had happened, he screamed in fury. A hunting trap? Was he trapped in a stupid hunting trap? How stupid did he have to be to get stuck in a stupid hunting trap?

He started to squirm, trying to get out of this situation, but without his weapon or a decent plan, Blue couldn't do anything but stay there, helpless for any kind of monster to end it. But he didn't give up.

He didn't know how long he stayed that way, fighting futilely against the rope, but it was time enough for him to give up and start spinning gently with the swaying of the rope as the sky began to turn orange, which must mean long time. Blue grunted once more, will he really die so pathetically?

"... Hey..."

It was soft in the beginning, so low that Blue was sure he was hearing things ... until he realized there was something in a nearby brush.

"... Is there any near enemy? I mean, is there a monster nearby? "The ... Thing in the thicket asked, looking a bit afraid. Half suspicious, Blue slowly looked around and then gently shook his head.

Before Blue could react, suddenly someone was right in front of him.

Blue screamed and tried to pull away as much as possible, but it only made him sway back on the rope, while the thing smiled widely at him and he tried to stabilize it to stop swaying.

Blue took a few seconds to realize that "the thing" was actually "a person".

The boy was similar to himself, but his long hair was a much lighter color than his, almost golden, and his eyes glowed like deep water, were beautiful and at the same time with some danger in his gaze. The boy also had a leaner, slimmer physique, though he had a few muscles here and there.

Or the boy was much closer than Blue imagined to notice all these details, or the blood flowing to his head was making him notice more than usual. It can be both together.

"Hey, calm down! I'm sorry, I did not mean to scare you!" The boy gave a small, embarrassed laugh, taking a few steps back. "It's just that I did not see any other being like me, so I was so happy that I could not stop approaching!"

"W... What? ..." It was the only thing Blue could speak at that moment, still a little amazed at the sudden appearance of what he was looking for.

Now that he found it, he realized he had no idea what to do next.

"That trap got you right, didn't it? Even though the Bokoblins are dumb, they know how to make a good hunting trap, "The boy commented, looking up at the rope at the top of the branch. "... If you stay quiet, I think I can ..."

"I don't need help! I can do it for myself! "Blue shouted angrily to the boy, he wasn't sure why, but seeing someone trying to help him with something he couldn't get made him angrier than before. The boy blinked in surprise, before nodding softly, pulling back a little farther and sitting up, watching Blue with curiosity.

Blue bravely struggled back against the rope, but this time he only fought for a few minutes before giving up, exhausted and starting to have difficulty feeling anything from the waist down. He looked at the boy, who now ate an apple while looking at some object in his hands, Blue had no idea where he got that apple, but he sure was a little jealous of the boy now.

The object in his hands, however, caught the attention of Blue.

"HEY! Give me back my Sheikah Slate! "He shouted, tiredness being the only thing that kept him from fighting again like a maniac. The boy blinked again, before getting up and approaching.

"Do you know what this is?" The boy asked, looking at the Sheikah Slate. Blue frowned and was ready to yell at the boy once more as he continued, "I woke up with this in a cave, a voice told me that I should keep this and that it 'will keep you all together,' whatever that it means. "He turned to Blue, hopeful. "Do you know anything about it or the strange voice? It's just that I can't remember much ... "

This made Blue stop, looking confused at the boy. The boy ... Did he have the same problem as him? This could not be a coincidence, could it? Blue touched his belt and felt his Sheikah Slate in it, he gently took it from there and showed the boy, who looked as shocked as he.

"I have no idea what's going on ... I've been in a situation similar to what you described as I woke up here and I'm as lost as you are." Blue admitted, shrugging as lightly as he could in his situation. The boy looked at the two Sheikah Slate for a few seconds before look at Blue.

"I think ... I think we should be together for the time being," He said, glancing quickly at the object before turning his attention back to Blue. "The voice said that this holds us together, maybe it's talking about us or more people ... Besides, it would be much better if we stay united than we were separated and at risk of being stuck and with no way out." The boy gave a shy smile. "What do you think? At least until we find out what's going on. "

Blue's first instinct was to refuse and say that he worked alone, but he prevented it even before such a phrase formed in his head. First, because that was completely against his goal, that was just meeting other people. Second, because as much as it hurt his pride a little, the boy was right. That situation in which they were was absolute proof that being alone is asking to die, for both sides. Blue sighed, crossing her arms as best he could as dizziness began to worsen.

"... If you really can get me out of here, then I accept this alliance ... But just for now, did you hear me?" He warned, the boy smiled and nodded a few times, starting to walk to the thicket where he was hidden before, leaving Blue confused, he didn't agreed to help him? What was he doing?

His response came when the boy took some of the bush out of the way and kicked a piece of wood hard, pulling it off the ground and causing Blue to fall hard on the ground.

"I'm sorry! I should have warned you about it! "The boy ran and helped Blue sit down, making the young man's dizziness worse, but at least he began to feel his legs again.

The boy supported him with his body and slowly began to walk in some direction, perhaps a place he knew to be safe. The sudden loss of blood pressure in his head made Blue dizzier than he imagined, since he was stumbling on almost every object in his path, but he was able to accompany the boy to the place he wanted and then sat down. The boy started to prepare the fire and asked Blue to rest for a bit, since he looked very ill. And for the first time, Blue didn't argue.

* * *

The boy's name is Red, and he discovered it the day after his strange encounter with him.

Even if he didn't admit it out loud, Blue liked his company, Red was very energetic and could find something interesting in things that Blue found unnecessary. It was with such curiosity that he discovered that by capturing an image of an enemy with the Sheikah Slate gave them information about them. Red also enjoyed collecting various things along the way in his magical bags, he had kept from various mushrooms he found on the floor to some Guardians' pieces they found on the way, most of them already destroyed, others they had to destroy.

He was also more skilled than Blue had given credit, since he managed to find - and steal - a Rusty Halberd of a Bokoblin while he slept, without alerting the other two that were nearby. He also found a Woodcutting's Axe and handed it to Blue, laughing as he said that a weapon as strong, direct, and crude as that one matched his attitude.

Red was right, however, since little time of use, Blue stated that he would only use axes from this day onwards.

After a little discussion, they headed toward the forest, past a large portion of water with destroyed Guardians and a strange cave, when suddenly the earth began to shake, leaving them without balance for a few seconds while trying to understand what was happening.

"B-Blue! Look at that! "Red yelled, pointing at something behind them. Blue quickly turned around and was shocked by what he was seeing.

A tower had literally begun to sprout from the ground, going higher and higher at frightening speed.

"What the ..." Before he could finish his sentence, a very familiar sound detached itself from the noise caused by the tower. The two turned to see the strange cave they were ignoring shining in orange and blue.

The quakes began to cease as the glow of the cave increased a little, as if it were beckoning them to enter. The pair looked at each other, a little worried and suspicious, before looking back at the cave. A little hesitantly, they approached and surveyed the cave.

"It ... It looks a lot like the structure of the place where I woke up." Blue commented, looking mostly at the familiar pillar. Red nodded slightly, also intrigued by all that, touching with what appeared to be a door.

"... Should we use the Sheikah Slate?" He asked apprehensively, turning to Blue. Blue frowned for a few seconds before taking out his Sheikah Slate and approaching the pedestal.

 **Sheikah Slate confirmed.**

 **Travel gate will be recorded on the map.**

 **Access granted.**

The door shone and opened, just as the circles began to glow blue. The pair waited for a few seconds to see if anything else would occur, and then approached the circle that was hidden by the gate, which turned out to be a type of elevator for some kind of underground area. **  
**

The place was quite large, with something resembling the pillar for the Sheikah Slate and two large metal plates in the center of the room. Red and Blue emerged from the platform, ready to explore the strange region when a male voice echoed on the spot.

 **To you who sets foot in this shrine...**

 **I am Oman Au.**

 **In the name of the Goddess Hylian, I offer this trial.**

And as suddenly as it appeared, the voice disappeared. Again, that sense of anger came to Blue's chest with all that mystery and nonsense, why all this drama? Was it so difficult to answer things directly? If things continued like this, he was sure to discount all his anger and frustration at the next enemy he faced.

"... So ... what do we do now?" Red asked, even though he was heading toward the pillar. Blue followed suit and approached the pillar, taking his Sheikah Slate again.

"Well, we only has that choice ..." He grunted, then put his object on the pillar, letting him react with that as his mind thought of several things that Red would no doubt be shocked by his nature, so he wisely decided keep quiet.

In any case, he was sadly sure that his new weapon would not last as long as he wanted.


	4. Chapter 4: Red

Red was anxious.

He wasn't sure if this anxiety was bad or good considering all he'd learned since waking up in that strange cave to the situation he was in, he just knew he was anxious.

The chains that bound him and his friends didn't help either.

Red closed his eyes, trying to remember how they ended up in this situation. It all began in that unearthly awakening in a strange cave with his only friendly companion being a voice of a woman who never spoke to him again, a strange and familiar object very useful and an old gentleman who had the habit of disappearing and appearing when he least hoped.

Their adventure even began after finding Blue and shortly thereafter found Green, and then the newly formed group united to solve the mysteries that surrounded them, starting with where they were, these strange powers that the Sheikah Slate has, and a strange malnourished man with a large hat sitting inside a bright pillar that made a magic ball enter Blue's chest and said "The Hylian Goddess smiles and blesses you" before disappearing.

Something told Red that this was important.

Soon after this happened, they were teleported to the entrance of the 'cave' where the old gentleman was waiting for them. Green talked to him about an agreement that, for some reason, ended with the old man asking them to go up that gigantic tower.

Blue yelled at the old man, calling him crazy, and a small part of Red agreed with Blue.

The old man decided to explain a feature of the Sheikah Slate: The ability to teleport your users to certain locations marked on the map. Green quickly sent the trio to the top of the tower, where the old gentleman - _who for some reason was already there_ \- said that there were three more 'caves' similar to the one they met, and asked them to complete them all, and after that, he would help them out of that place.

It seemed to be something fairly simple ...

... So how exactly did the three end up like that, tied by chains on a rock, with their equipment out of reach, while the two people who captured them, who also had Sheikah Slates, were discussing what to do with them?

Red was still trying to figure out the last part.

"Sorry, guys ... Vio still refuses to listen me about releasing you." Shadow sighed in front of them, showing some steak skins with roasted mushrooms. "But he finally agreed to let me feed you!"

"Well ... It's a start," Green commented, opening his mouth to let Shadow feed him. Red did the same thing, but Blue refused to even look at Shadow since he was captured.

Shame, Shadow's food was divine.

Shadow ... He was a very nice guy. Since they met, he was nothing but sweet and gentle: He set the chains to keep them from hurting, he would constantly talk to the trio to cheer them up and even prepare a meal for them.

What really bothered him a little was his appearance. His tanned skin was minus, he could have spent a lot of time in the sun, but his hair darker than the moonless night and his blood-red eyes, which sometimes seemed to shine like a nocturnal animal, brought an almost opposite sensation of who he really is. His fighting ability was also quite frightening, since when he started to fight seriously against them, not even the three of them together managed to hit him right.

Of course, he had the help of Vio, who was an archer and had the power to paralyze time for a few seconds, but still, Shadow was a force to be recognized.

Red shifted his gaze from the gentle swordsman to the frightening archer sitting by the fire, leaning against a fallen log near where the trio's equipment was. He seemed to be napping, but after a few seconds of looking at the archer, Vio opened his eyes and fixed his icy gaze on Red, still not moving, again causing the young lancer to feel anxious.

Quite different from Shadow, Vio seemed to be a normal person, if it were not for the fact that he had several body parts bandaged, besides his ice-blue eyes could seem to be more dangerous than the Guardian's eyes.

Sincerely, Red preferred to face several Guardians in a row than to continue being watched that way by Vio.

"... Vio, can you stop looking at them as if at any moment you were going to get your bow and shoot them?" Shadow asked, never looking at his partner. Vio turned his piercing gaze to the brunette.

"If you weren't there, I would do just that," he said, gruffly and without hesitation. Shadow sighed and turned back to him.

"I know that, you know that, we all know that, okay? ... But can you at least pretend you don't care about them for now?" The swordsman asked, seeming to look directly into the eyes of the archer. "... Please."

The archer stared at him for another few seconds before closing his eyes and sighing, leaning back against the fallen log and beginning to observe the stars that were beginning to emerge. Shadow turned back to the tied trio and left a skewer right in front of Blue, who only went to eat when the swordsman came out of his field of vision, getting closer to the Red.

"I know what you guys thinking, but trust me, Vio is a cool guy when he wants to," Shadow said, glancing quickly at his partner. "As much as he doesn't show, I know he's worried about me because I'm close to you. He regards you as a great threat. "

"We can't blame him, we start with the left foot ... far to the left," Green commented, possibly remembering how it started, for Red, it was all a blur of confusion. "If someone attacked my friends for no reason, I think I would be suspicious too."

"Once again, we are very sorry for what we did. We shouldn't have done that ... "Red looked at the chains and frowned slightly. "... We _really_ shouldn't have done that." The last comment made an arrogant smile appear on Shadow's face.

"Yes, you shouldn't have. Vio and I are a pair of forces that must be recognized and feared! "He said convinced. Vio stirred a little from where he was, looking uncomfortable, catching the swordsman's attention, whose expression softened as he looked at his partner. "... I see, it's about time, is not it? Well, I'll have to take care of my friend there, I hope you have a good night." As soon as he said that, he went to the archer and began to care for him. Green turned to Blue and possibly made some sort of empty expression, since Blue practically growled in anger.

"Okay, I get it! I'll never attack anyone again just to look suspicious, are you happy now ?! "Blue grunted, Green just rolled her eyes and frowned a little, possibly trying to think of something.

"So, do you have any idea, Green?" Red asked hopefully, but Green shook his head.

"Besides waiting for a miracle or something? Nothing. They sure knew how to leave our options very limited ... At least we have Shadow on our side to try to explain that it was all a misunderstanding ... "He said, making Blue snort.

"You really trust that guy ... You know he can easily be the worst of the two and you still believe him?" He asked incredulously. Red shrugged, even though he knew his strongest friend couldn't see.

"I don't think he or Vio are bad guys. I think they are just two people who don't know how to react to us, and so they caught us. "A small smile began to appear on his face. "Besides, I know you feel it too ... This feeling of emptiness is finally ... Filled."

His two companions were quiet, and Red knew they were thinking and pondering over his words. If Red concentrated well, he could even feel what his friends were feeling, which was a mixture of understanding, doubt and confusion, much more doubt and confusion than understanding.

Red understood this feeling very well. As much as it was still a blur of everything that happened in his encounter with Vio and Shadow, he remembers asking himself internally why a small part of him felt happy and comfortable around them, and Red was sure others would felt the same way. He even bets that it was this feeling and the Sheikah Slate that he and his friends carried that prevented that pair from killing them.

The lancer looked back at the pair and his eyes widened in surprise as he saw Shadow looking directly at him as he changed Vio's bandages. The swordsman blinked at him before talking again to the archer, who seemed to be thinking about something. Red continued to stare at them for a few seconds before smiling, somehow, he knew Shadow was managing to persuade his tough-headed friend to let them go.

"... We're going to get out of this, one way or the other," He said, catching the attention of his friends.

"Are you sure? Not that I didn't want to be free, but ... "

"It'll be all right." Red interrupted Green, gently. He then turned to his friend and smiled brightly. "Sometimes you just have to think positive!"

* * *

Positive thinking has always helped Red in unexplained and strange ways, and this time, it was no different.

It was after starting to think positive that he learned to make edible foods and it was with positive thoughts that he met Blue and Green. Now, after thinking positively for some time and having, for some reason and somehow, a good night's sleep, Shadow said that he persuaded Vio to release them, with a few minor restrictions. Now the five are together in this great and strange adventure!

Well, it is true that Shadow and Vio were still with their weapons, the trio had ropes on their wrists and were being taken prisoner by Vio, who was in front of them and pulling the ropes roughly while accompanying the swordsman. But they were no longer trapped in a rock, the chains were replaced with ropes and they returned their Sheikah Slates.

Red considered it a breakthrough.

"Don't look at me like that, Vio. It was you who decided to arrest them and take them with us instead of simply freeing them. "Shadow warned, again, without even look to his partner. Red was sure that Vio frowned slightly as he looked at Shadow before he sighed from the nose and looked away from the swordsman with an empty expression. "... And you too, Blue. Stop looking at us as if you wanted to kill us, this only encourages the Vio to distrust you and to leave you all permanently trapped somewhere without a chance to survive. "

Blue jumped, looking surprised that Shadow had noticed what he felt without ever looking at any of them. The lancer wondered if the swordsman had any psychic ability to always know what is going on around him without looking, or whether the four, especially Blue and Vio, are very obvious about what they think and Shadow is sharper than he looks.

They continued to wander aimlessly for another few minutes before Shadow suddenly stopped, which made the four of them alert. They looked where the swordsman stared, and Red almost jumped with fright when he noticed the old gentleman a few feet in front of them, where did he come from? Red was sure to have no one in less than a second! The old gentleman looked at the five of them and smiled proudly.

"It seems like you finally got together, and acquired all off the Spirit Orbs from the shrines on this plateau. Oho, ho! Extraordinary!" He said, happy. Shadow took a step forward.

"Yes, it took a while, but I finally gather all four other warriors you told me, as promised." He said, which made the others confused. "So it's time for you to keep your end of the bargain and then, you'll be able to rest in peace."

"In fact, it is finally time for me to tell you everything. But first ... "The old gentleman turned, looking at the horizon. "... Imagine an X on your maps, with the four shrines as the end points. Find the place where those lines intersect. I shall wait for you there."

"Why can't it be right here? ... Is there anything left to do before your spirit feels free?" The dark-haired man asked, looking worried. The old gentleman turned, with a small smile.

"No need to worry, my kind young man. I just feel more comfortable talking about it there ... "He admitted. Suddenly, small green and light blue flames began to rise in his body and he began to disappear, leaving the other warriors scared. "Do you understand? Where two lines connecting the shrines would cross... There ... I will ... be waiting ... "As soon as he finished his sentence, he disappeared.

"... But _what the hell_ just **_happened_**?!" Blue shouted after a few seconds, his two friends just shrugged, still with shocked faces.

"Shadow, what were you two talking about?" Vio asked, seeming to be the least affected by everything that happened, after Shadow. The swordsman sighed.

"I was going to explain everything as soon as we arrived in his cabin, but it seems he decided he waited too long ..." He said, running his hand through his black hair. He quickly looked at Vio with a serious expression and pointed at the trio. "Release them now, please."

Vio frowned slightly, obviously not pleased with it, but he did as his partner asked. Red was relieved to feel his blood running normally by his hands as it should, which was quickly turned into confusion when Shadow returned the weapons of all.

"... I know you have a lot of questions, but I also know that the old man will answer all we need," he said, his expression serious bringing Red's anxiety back. "Then I will be direct and practical: Come with me if you want to know the truth."


	5. Chapter 5: Vio

Vio was lost.

Not only lost, but with all the bruises he had on his exhausted and famished body, it was a miracle that he was still alive and walking.

Needless to say, Vio didn't like this situation at all.

He had no idea where he was or who he was, the first memory he has is he is drowning in a stone bed in that strange cave and his whole body is aching, as if he had just finished a fight for life or death, and wasn't sure if he won.

Pain that worsened with every step he took, as if every muscle fiber he had was being brutally attacked with every tiny movement he made. Even breathing was hard work, and Vio was sure that this shouldn't happen.

But Vio is not weak, he is strong, and he refused to fall before he knew what was happening. Especially because of the female voice that spoke to him, commenting on his rude awakening, and this strange Sheikah Slate resting on his belt.

Grunting in pain, Vio leaned against the trees as he walked, holding his bow tightly with his other hand. The bruise on his rib was getting purple, just as his right leg refused to take his weight again. Vio didn't care. Now he was armed and would not succumb so easily.

A movement several meters ahead on the lowest level of where he was caught the young man's attention. He frowned a little, his vision sharpened, but half clouded by his hunger, trying to understand what lay ahead of him. It seemed to be a lake, with some creature approaching the lake through the trees. Taking a deep breath and ignoring all the pain in his weakened body, Vio silently marched toward the suspicious movement.

He stood on the highest ground he could without being detected and looked around. In the lake he had seen, was an encampment with five Bokoblins, two of them in small towers watching around, while the other three baked a reasonably large animal. Vio again ignored the pain in his belly and continued to scan around when his eyes fixed on the creature he had seen before.

A person like him was hidden among the treetops, using a rusty medium-sized sword with a chain on the sword's wrist that was wrapped around the young man's wrist to hang on the tree, and what looked like a wooden shield on his back. His clothes were different that Vio wore and had a few rips at the edges. The person looked like Vio, but he seemed to have more muscles, beyond his tanned skin, black hair and red eyes.

Red-eyes that were directed exactly to where Vio was.

The Red-Eyes gave a small wave with his free hand, Vio blinked before looking around. When he was sure the other person was talking to him, the young blond man hesitantly returned the nod, which made the brunette smile.

Vio was once again lost on what to do, he knew he should have another like him around, but he still created a strange feeling in him when he came upon another young man. The brunette looked at the group of Bokoblins and again at the blond, he pointed at the blond, then at him before pointing to the Bokoblins and making the move to break something in the air.

The young blond blinked, considering the offer, it seemed too good to be true. He forced her body to become visibly tense and frowned, pulling back slightly as they faced the other young man. The brunette rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then pointed to the camp and made a rectangle in the air, cutting exactly in the center before pointing between them three times.

Now this is a much more acceptable offer than the previous one. It still looked suspicious, but much more credible. Relaxing, Vio straightened and raised an eyebrow as he tilted his head to one side.

The brunette's response was simply to shrug before reaching out with a small smile.

Trust him? Vio just met this guy and he's asking the blond to trust him? This is stupid in many ways ... Just as it would be to face that group of Bokoblins alone. Vio was strong, but not stupid. He sighed before picking up an arrow from his quiver and preparing in the bow, waving at the other young man. The Red-Eyes also waved before beginning to approach the encampment through the trees.

The young archer silently climbed down the hill, feeling his injured leg protest the movement. He ignored it again as he adjusted, he had few arrows and could not afford to spend for no reason, especially if he was not sure if the other guy would fulfill his share of the deal.

Vio looked up and found the brunet ready on a branch near one of the lookouts, hidden among the leaves. The blond aim at the other lookout carefully, waiting for the best opportunity to shoot, and wasted no time when it came. The arrow hit the head, killing the monster, and the impact knocked the body off the edge of the little watchtower.

This caused the necessary distraction they needed, the Bokoblins headed toward the downed ally, and the brunet took advantage to eliminate the other lookout, stabbing his sword in the neck and covering the monster's mouth to keep it from making a noise. The brunet silently placed the body in the tower and descended to the ground, sneaking toward the other Bokoblins. Vio had also shifted his position to one closer to the lake before firing at what was in the middle, right in the left eye, scaring the others of the group again when they saw another ally fall dead.

Again taking advantage of the distraction, the brunet attacked the nearest red monster, beheaded in a single blow. The other Bokoblin quickly turned and picked up his weapon, striking a blow that would surely have been painful if the swordsman had not intercepted his bone-adorned shield. They began a confrontation, where the Red-Eyes seemed to be at an advantage, and Vio prepared his bow again for any unforeseen event to occur in the fight.

It was when a strong impact hit Vio's back, taking the archer completely off guard and knocking him to the ground. With a new pain in the spine, the blonde turned his face and saw a new Bokoblin with a weapon, ready to attack again, Vio quickly turned on his back and blocked the attack with his bow.

The Bokoblin growled and put more pressure, possibly trying to break the bow to the force. The blonde did not have much physical strength and the new injury on his back did not help, but he refused to lose this fight, he refused to be weak. The monster braced itself for another blow when a sword was thrown and be stuck on the monster's shoulder, and the archer turned his face enough to see the Red-Eyes a few feet from where he was, holding the chain tightly and expression would be in the face.

And the Red-Eyes's eyes ... They were shining.

Maybe Vio had hit his head hard when he fell, but the young blonde was sure that the brunette's red irises were emitting a little unnatural glow, especially as sunlight was receding at that moment.

"GET OVER HERE!" He screamed before pulling the chain hard, bringing the sword and the monster to himself. The brunet hit the monster with the shield before blocking with the sword the attack of the other Bokoblin he was facing before, now starting a two-on-one fight.

Vio was trembling from the effort and pain as he rose, coughing a little and feeling a taste of copper in his mouth. Using all the rest of the strength he still had, the blond caught one of the fallen arrows and aim at the less injured Bokoblin. The blood dripping from his forehead slightly distupted his vision, but he still managed to hit the knee of his target. The monster screamed in pain and crouched to try to take the arrow, and the brunet quickly made a deep diagonal cut in the Bokoblin he was fighting , and soon afterwards plunged the sword into the skull of the crouching monster, finally eliminating all the enemies.

The two young men were panting, the adrenaline of combat starting to subside with each breath. The two of them stared at each other for a few seconds, the swordsman certainly in a much better condition than the archer, even though he had been on the front line, which bothered the archer somewhat. He tried to say something, but his frail and injured body finally succumbed to pain and he fell into the lake.

That awful sensation again erupted in his chest as he felt all the air in his lungs leave his body. He tried to swim to the surface, but his limbs refused to respond, his lungs and throat began to burn and his chest felt like it would explode along with his head. He couldn't think straight, and he couldn't move, and his whole body ached and burned, and he wanted to scream and cry, but he couldn't think straight, and ...

The last thing he saw were strangely familiar red eyes.

* * *

Lightness, that was the first thing Vio felt when he regained consciousness. His body was still aching, but to a much lower degree than before, and his hunger vanished, leaving his head much lighter now that a part of his brain wasn't constantly complaining and demanding that he do something about it.

Slowly, he began to open his eyes and faced the dark blue sky full of bright stars. Vio blinked, a little confused about what was happening, before he tried to get up.

"Do not move," a male voice said. The young blonde turned his face a little and ran into the familiar Red-Eyes. "You are still very hurt, try not to move too much."

The brunette was sitting next to him, making some kind of mixture on a leaf. He was without his shirt, used to bandage his right arm, and had a kind of pasty solution passed on his shoulder blades. As he turned, the blond spotted a strange mark / tattoo on his left side to chest in the form of a quadruped animal with a relatively long neck and two humps on its back.

The type of drawing closely resembled the eagle's drawing that Vio had on his right arm.

"Eat, it will ease the pain and accelerate healing." The swordsman handed over the mixture he was making, lifting the archer's head slightly in the process. The blonde hesitated a little before eating what was offered, his taste being much better than the appearance. He ate as much as he could before feeling his stomach twisting, apparently unable to take any more food, and tried to sit up, the brunet quickly helped him and left him leaning on the nearby fallen log before pushing away the food a little from the archer. All the while being watched by the blonde. "Shadow."

"What?"

"My name is Shadow. Or at least that is how I got called. "He turned to the blond with a small smile. "And you?"

"... Vio."

"Cool name, at least I find it more creative than 'Shadow'." He gave a small laugh and stood up, approaching a bonfire almost erased and fed the fire with a few branches before he sat next to the blond. "How you feels?"

"I'm sore, but not so much. I'm more confused about what's happening than sore. "As soon as he answered, Vio frowned a little, wondering if it was normal to respond so frankly to a complete stranger. But again, Shadow has helped him, so maybe he can have some of his confidence.

"I am in the same boat as you, buddy, mostly because you have a Sheikah Slate like mine." The Red-Eyes commented as he showed two Sheikah Slates in his hands. Vio raised a little eyebrow as he switched his gaze to the two identical objects, and Shadow handed him the one on the right. "Here, this is yours. I know this because he has a little bird symbol that mine does not have in the corner ... That and the fact that it does not respond right to my touch, I think it only works with the real owners. "

Gently, the archer took his artifact and examined it carefully, then reached out his hand in a silent request for the other and examined it as well. In fact, right in the lower left corner of the fist, it had the design of the animal equal to what they had, and Vio was curious to know what kind of connection existed in all this.

The archer returned the artifact corresponding to the swordsman before finally deciding to examine his body to find out how much damage he has suffered in the last few days. He was half-naked, so it was easy to see that the pasty solution and the improvised bandages covered him almost from head to toe, with some regions looking more swollen than others, such as his torso and right leg. His foot was again in a natural angle and had some branches in the bandages to leave immobilized the region. Vio touched his head to check. Correction, he was definitely bandaged from head to toe.

"... I do not know what happened to you, but it seems you have not had a quiet day since you woke up, correct?" The swordsman asked after the archer finished examining himself. Vio looked up at the dark-haired man.

"You woke up in a cave too." It was not a question, but the brunet nodded nonetheless. "... My first memory is of me be drowning."

"The water around you was not drained when you woke up?" Shadow stared at him now with a strange emotion on his face, but something in Vio didn't like that look. The blonde shook his head and Shadow looked down at the floor. "That explains why you looked so scared when I was taking you out of the lake ... I thought it was you drowning, but it seems that your fear is much deeper ..."

"Fear?" Vio recognized the word, but its meaning seemed to have escaped his mind. The swordsman blinked, looking lost or ... Some other similar emotion.

"You ... You do not know what it is to be afraid?" The archer denied it again, and the Red-Eyes again stared at him strangely. The strange sensation in his chest returned to a smaller scale, along with the discomfort, do people transmit as many unknown emotions as Shadow or was it just him? "Tell me, what did you feel at that moment?"

"I ..." Vio hesitated, why should he answer that? This wasn't important and it wasn't the brunet's business ... Still, something told the blonde that he could talk to the other young man. "... I couldn't think straight, my arms didn't move, my chest ached ... And my head throbbed, but I think it was because of the bruise on my head."

"It was a bad feeling, was not it?" The archer nodded, watching as a soft smile appeared on the swordsman's face. "What you have felt is called fear, and maybe a good deal of panic."

"Fear ..." The blonde frowned, that word gaining a bitter taste in his mouth. "I don't like this."

"I bet you are not the only one." Shadow hesitated a little before extending his hand to Vio. "It is okay to feel fear, it is a natural feeling ... But if you are still afraid and do not want to feel now, you can hold my hand if you want."

Vio looked at the outstretched hand with a small frown, not understanding how to hold his hand would make that feeling stop. Touches hurt, anything alive that touch on the blond always hurt, so he seriously doubted that touching Shadow could help, it should make things worse.

Still, he decided to risk it, the worst that could happen is his hand start to throb, but he was accustomed to it. Slowly, he held the Red-Eyes's hand, still with a scowl on his face as he looked at the swordsman, making it clear that it wasn't working.

... Although slowly, the small heat that emanated in their joined hands began to spread through the painful body of the blonde.

He hadn't realized how tense he was with that contact until he began to feel his body relax without his permission and his mind stop buzzing. Vio blinked, the part in his brain that wasn't relaxed was totally stunned by what was happening. Contacts should hurt, he should be feeling pain right now, but that particular touch didn't hurt. On the contrary, the contact had a gentle warmth never felt before made Vio felt ... Safe.

"Better?" The blond nodded, still stunned and relaxed. "Good ... If you are feeling that way again, do not hesitate to talk to me, okay?"

Shadow let go of his hand then, getting up and heading toward the fire. The blonde slowly lifted his hand, still feeling the heat in his palm. With a single touch, Shadow had managed to make the blonde relax in a way he hadn't before since Vio awakened, made him feel safe as never before, he had ...

... He had destroyed all the defenses that Vio had made with so much effort in a simple touch.

The heat in his hand instantly cooled with that thought.

Shadow ... He was strong ...

... Stronger than anything Vio had found.

His hand began to tremble.

The law of the strongest was the first thing Vio had understood when he awoke. If you aren't strong, you are just another prey for the strongest, who is waiting for the perfect opportunity to kill the weakest. Only the strongest should prevail, nothing beneath it survives.

The tremble ran through his body.

Vio was asleep for how long, hours? Days? All this time, Shadow took food, protected the encampment alone, and even found medicinal herbs enough to heal both. And he doesn't seem to have had any problems since he is still moving as if nothing had happened.

His breath hitched.

Shadow was the strong, not Vio. Vio was weak, very weak compared to the Red-Eyes. If the brunet wanted to, the archer would be dead by now ...

... Maybe he would be dead soon.

Her vision blurred.

Maybe Shadow wanted to make the blond feel safe before he decided to kill him.

... Vio wasn't the strongest ...

... He could be killed at any moment and there was nothing he could do.

He...

...

...

... He was having another attack.

Vio embraced tremulously, in a faint attempt to calm himself. His mind was a thousand an hour, but he couldn't concentrate on what he was thinking right, everything around him summed up to nothing as he felt his chest explode along with his lungs. He didn't know what was happening, and some small part of him seemed conscious enough to not like this situation, but Vio couldn't concentrate on anything else besides the nothing that his mind navigated, the fear that his body felt and the tremor of his head, or maybe it was the other way around? He didn't know any more! What was happening? Does it really matter considering he would be dead soon?

… breath… Take a deep breath...

A voice whispered in the blond's head, who did everything to focus on it, in a last attempt to anchor himself in reality. Vio didn't know when time was here, trying to escape from that mental prison, but finally began to feel his body again. The first thing he felt was a gentle warmth in his right arm, then a presence next to him. Vio put everything he had so he could raise his gaze and discover what was next to him.

A dark haired man with tanned skin was sitting next to him, his hand on the blond's arm as his red eyes watched him with some intensity and unfamiliar feelings.

... Red Eyes...

"Take a deep breath, I know you can." The Red-Eyes ... Shadow whispered gently, his hand gently going up and down the blond's arm. He had left a space that should be comfortable between them, but something in Vio made that fear come back to him, the distance of a few inches between them seeming miles that increased every second.

At that moment, Vio didn't care if it was a false sensation or a trap, he just wanted to feel safe.

When the blond realized, he was hugging the red eyes man as if it was the only thing that separated him from life and death, held tightly to the swordsman as if it were the last thing he would do forever. A part of the blond's mind noticed red marks where his nails had pierced the swordsman's skin, but the rest only desperately tried to feel that safety again, that only contact that had not hurt him.

"Yes, continue like this ... You are doing very well." Shadow kept whispering in his ear and the blond's conscious part felt disgusted when it noticed that Vio was shaking and whimpering like an abandoned puppy. "... You are very strong, you know that?"

Vio's breath hitched.

"You survived all this time alone, fighting even really hurt, and still had this anxiety problem?" The brunette gave a small laugh. "I think I would have gone crazy the first day, but here you are, fighting your mind and winning." Still shaking, Vio looked up and met the gentlest expression he had ever seen. "You are definitely very strong, Vio."

They stared at each other for a few seconds before the blond rested his forehead on the young man's shoulder. Shadow hugged the archer as he continued to whisper in his ear. Vio had no idea how long they were like that, but it should have been a few hours, considering that when Vio calmed down, the sky began to take on a lighter tone.

With no hesitation, the archer quickly stepped back from the Red-Eyes, who simply sat more comfortably, not attempting to approach again, leaving the blond even more grateful. For the first time in his attacks, physical contact was good for calming and keeping him safe, but he definitely felt more comfortable without any kind of touch.

The two sat in silence for a while, watching the sky slowly become clear and the stars disappear. The blonde reflected on what happened, with his defenses having returned a little, he was managing to think more clearly, but something still didn't make sense.

"... Thanks for helping me, you didn't need to do this," He commented after a while. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shadow shrug.

"It was not a big deal."

"No, serious, you really didn't need to do this. And you still don't have to." The archer turned to face the swordsman's face. "You're strong, you can deal with anything in that region alone, that's pretty clear. Then why are you helping me? Even though I'm strong too, I'm hurt. Why bother to help me when you can obviously keep moving forward without help? "

The question made Shadow finally turn his gaze to the blond, an empty expression on his face. He stared at the archer for a few seconds, as if analyzing it, before closing his eyes and sighing, scratching the back of his head in the process.

"You got me ... Being completely honest? Well, that is two reasons for that. The first motive is selfish. "The brunette's expression became serious as he returned to face the blonde directly, feelings that Vio did not recognize mixed in a single glance. "I need you to survive. I want to leave this place, but I can not do it alone. I know, I already tried ... I need help getting out of here, and I specifically need your help getting out. "

"Oh ... I see." That ... made a lot of sense to Vio. If he was lucky, then that would also make him leave that region. The blonde tilted his head a little thoughtfully. "... and the second reason?" The question brought back the swordman's gentle smile.

"The second reason is more altruistic ... I helped you because even though you were strong, you were suffering."

Vio raised his eyebrow, skeptical, making Shadow give a laugh.

"I am serious!" He leaned a little to the blonde's direction, but did not approach any more than that. "You were in pain, apparently since you woke up. The world has decided to be cruel to you for some reason, perhaps to make you stronger, and made you suffer almost all bad, but I am not the world. "A soft smile appeared on the swordsman's face as his voice took on a more tone soft. "No soul deserves to suffer like this, and even if you were not the one I sought, I would still help you ... I will not let you suffer, Vio. No anymore."

The sincerity in his voice left Vio stunned. He watched the swordsman get up and turn a half-burned meat skewers into the bonfire. Maybe they were being done when Vio had a attack.

This was so different from what he'd seen since awake. It was a fact that the archer hadn't been awake for a long time, but all the strong beings he encountered were cruel or savage. Vio couldn't understand how someone so strong could be so gentle in such a cruel world ...

...

...

... No, maybe it wasn't like that.

"Shadow."

Maybe the fact that he continues to be gentle, even in such a cruel world, is what makes him strong.

The Red-Eyes turned, wanting to know what the blonde would say.

And maybe gentleness wasn't and will never be Vio's strong point, but he had something that was as strong as the swordsman's gentleness, reserved for when he met someone trustworthy.

Vio stared at Shadow with a determined expression.

And maybe, just maybe ... He finally found that person he was looking for unconsciously.

"I'll help you out of this place ... And after that, I'll continue to help you, as long as you let me stay by your side."

A smile, confident and grateful, appeared on Shadow's face, and Vio couldn't help but reciprocate, even on a much smaller scale.

Shadow is strong, he is brave, he is gentle, and he is prepared to face anything the world throws at him with a little smile and warm red eyes.

And Vio was willing to follow those red eyes until the end, no matter how difficult.

"Sounds like a deal to me."


	6. Chapter 6: Shadow

Shadow was happy.

Maybe he shouldn't have been, considering he was still lost in an unfamiliar place with several hostile creatures around him, and the only thing he knew was that the young woman's voice asked him to "unite them as he always did."

But the mere fact that he had found the ones he sought so much, and all good company, brought a smile on the brunet's face.

The small group moved toward "where the lines would cross," which, according to Vio, was the ruined temple that Shadow had already explored before meeting each of them. Maybe, finally, with the five gathered, the giant statue of the Goddess reacts to them ...

"Wait ... Are we Hylnias?"

"Hylians… And most likely, since their description is very similar to ours. Considering I've read that, basically, Zoras are fish, Gorons are stone giants, Ritos are birds, and Gerudos are just women. "

"Yes… But maybe you're a Sheikah. You said they look like Hylians, but they have red eyes." Green's aura shone a little more when a thought arose. "If you are a Sheikah, then do you know what is going on? Is that why you and the old man wanted to reunite us? To explain everything at once?"

"I wish it were that." The brunet gave a small laugh, looking back to the front. "Only the old man knows what is really happening. I'm almost as lost as you, I just know these things because I'm awake a few days longer than you ... "Or a few months, maybe, but they don't need to know that. "... And also because I read a little of the old man's diaries." Green blinked, looking incredulous.

"You ... Did you break into his privacy?"

"I knew I wasn't the only one!" Red shouted excitedly, his aura stirring a little before returning to normal as he approached the brunet very quickly, who almost made his partner pull his bow, but Shadow prevented with a gesture subtle with the arm. "I tried to make the fish recipe I saw in the diary, but I could never find the necessary fish."

"I caught it near the snow mountain ... Or was it in the lake near the forests ...?"

"Who cares where you found a fishy crap? Stop this clowning and tell us what you're hiding! "Blue's scream interrupted brunet's reasoning and made Vio pick up his weapon quickly in alarm, his aura becoming turbulent from the possible threat.

Shadow approached and gently lowered his partner's weapon with a small grateful smile, Vio looked at him for a few seconds before sighing and putting his bow away again. They both watched Green and Red begin to scold Blue, causing him more anger, his aura becoming even more hostile.

... Speaking of hostile aura ...

He turned to his partner, wriggling his right hand slightly before glancing at the trio. Vio turned to them and closed his eyes for a few seconds before turning his attention to the brunet and subtly closing his hand tightly with a determined expression. Shadow frowned, worried about his partner's decision as he looked at his covered wounds, but the archer simply nodded, which the dark haired man returned a few seconds later and turned his back to the trio.

Maybe it wasn't a good idea to do that now, with Blue like that in an almost explosive state, but if Vio said he could protect him if they tried something, then Shadow trusted his partner.

Shadow knelt on one knee and closed his eyes as he put his hand on the floor, trying to ignore all his other senses except the sixth. It took a few seconds before I could 'turn off' them all, but it's a big step up from the many minutes it took to ignore just one sense when he woke up.

Soon Shadow could see everything, even with his eyes closed. The light and strong auras of the trees, the small auras of insects, and some that passed over their heads of some birds. He could also feel the aura of his four companions more clearly, one hot as fire, one serene as water, one bright as light, each more confused than the other as they turned to the brunet. The only one that remained the same was the strong and, ironically, most unstable of the four, Vio was already used to what Shadow did, even though he wasn't sure what 'that' was.

Honestly, even Shadow wasn't sure what 'that' was, just knew it was very useful.

Focusing around him, the brunet began to feel other auras, hostile but not cruel auras, around the temple. He could also feel the strange aura of the goddess statue that seemed stronger than usual, and very close to the statue, he felt the old man and his disconcerting aura, as if consciously trying to fight to continue on this earth.

Just like the aura he felt from the Koroks ... Or a living being when it is about to die.

Oh well. At least soon the old man can rest in peace.

"... There are some Bokoblins around this region, but not many." He said after returning to his senses, opening his eyes and turning to the group. "If we're very discreet, I think we can sneak into the temple without a fight."

"I accept!" Green and Red said at the same time, still confused by 'that', but the relief and hope that they didn't have to fight supplied the confusion. Shadow turned to his partner, the question being said in his eyes. The archer frowned slightly, his aura gaining a thoughtful twinkle, before looking at his bruised leg and other bandages, and nodding, also preferring the discreet manner.

"... Wait, no one's going to say anything about him 'finding out' that there are few Bokoblins nearby just touching the floor?" Blue asked incredulously. Red shrugged and elbowed him.

"Admit it, this isn't the strangest thing that has happened since we woke up." Red blinked, a mischievous smile on his face. "And I know you've already noticed that Shadow has a sixth sense for these kinds of things, especially when you look at him like you want to gut him right there." Green nodded several times, looking at Blue as if daring him to disagree.

Blue's left eye twitched several times, her aura looking about to explode like an eruption. When Shadow thought he would start screaming and physically fighting with his original teammates, he turned sharply on his back and began to growl as he pulled his hair before approaching a large rock and violently start to punching the stone as it roared, but never loud enough to catch the attention of the monsters. Their joints began to bleed and the rock was cracked by the brutal impacts of the punches, but Blue's aura had cooled a little. Not much, since his aura seemed naturally hot and explosive, but it calmed considerably from before.

A small smile appeared on Shadow as the stronger came back, he was beginning to like this guy.

"You two must be the most gullible idiots in this world, following the words of a guy who chained you just yesterday." He grunted and crossed his arms, looking at the brunet with an annoyed expression. "... So, sneak in, right?"

* * *

As the brunet had imagined, they managed to sneak into the temple without much difficulty. The only Bokoblin who could have alerted others was quickly silenced by his partner. Not that it was necessary, but Vio had a very justifiable grudge against the monsters, especially the Bokoblins.

Even though he himself has not noticed that he has a grudge ...

Oh well. He's still new to this feeling thing, Shadow won't judge.

"Wow ... How's this still standing?" Green was open-mouthed as he stared at the ruins with wide eyes. Blue and Red had similar expressions, possibly wondering the same thing or just admiring the place, while Vio watched with an analytical look, stopping when he noticed a small broken pedestal near the statue.

"... This wasn't just for the statue." Vio whispered to the brunet, who nodded.

"I thought the same thing when I came here the first time ..."

"Hey guys, do you think this is the' Goddess Hylian '? The one that those weird men talked about so much? "Red asked as he pointed to the giant statue, starting to approach her. The other four had also approached, Blue frowned.

"If she's not, then I eat my ax." Red looked strangely at Blue.

"But you don't have an ax anymore ..."

"You understand what I meant!"

Shadow tilted his head a little, a little confused by the aura the statue emanated. He hoped the statue would react to them now that they were all together, but she was just ... pulsing. Like a heartbeat, almost as if she was calling something between them ... The brunet's gaze shifted to the warrior who looked mesmerized at the Goddess, his brilliant aura also pulsing.

Correction, she was calling someone ...

"How about you pray for her?" Green blinked, coming out of his trance and turning to the brunet, looking lost. Shadow gave a small smile. "From what I read, she is a goddess, and is supposed to answer the prayers of her followers. I think it's worth a try, don't you? "

Green blinked again before looking at the Goddess statue and approaching it. He stood still for a few seconds, but soon took a position very similar to what Shadow had done before, except that his hands joined like a silent prayer, his aura and that of the statue beginning to pulse in sync. Blue and Red looked at Green with curiosity and confusion as Vio stared at Shadow, a silent question in which the brunet could only answer with a simple shrug, helpless about the situation.

Suddenly, Shadow's chest tightened and he put his hand in place, soon realizing that he wasn't the only one to feel it. The Spirits Orbs suddenly snapped out of their bodies toward the statue, starting to spin faster and faster before they crashed and burst into thousands of tiny glowing fragments.

Before anyone could react to that, a golden light covered all five from head to toe. Shadow's eyes widened as a sudden surge of energy began to revitalize him, feeling the regions where he was injured tingle and his head feeling lighter than when he woke up. When the light faded, the brunet couldn't stop to blinking stunned before looking at his hands.

His corns and scars ...

... Disappeared ...

... OK, he had to admit, this is amazing.

The brunet began to study his body, noting that his wounds became almost imperceptible scars, and his small cuts and bruises disappeared completely, as if they had never existed. He also felt more refreshed than when he woke up, and stronger than before.

This 'Goddess Hylian' has become Shadow's new favorite Goddess.

Not that he had a favorite before, but still ...

He looked at the other warriors, watching Blue stare incredulously and stunned at the knuckles of his hands without any injury, as if he had never punched a rock a short time ago. Red's mouth was open as he frantically touched the sides of his torso and then moved into his arms. Green was also on his feet, analyzing himself a little with fear as his wounds and bruises healed.

But what put the smile back on the brunet's face was to see his partner leaning normally with both feet while removing some bandages from his body, his eyes slightly wide as he analyzed himself.

"Are you ok?" Shadow asked his partner quietly, Vio wrapped the bandages of his hand again before answering.

"Maybe, I'm not sure ..." He stomped his right foot a few times, his face twisting a little in the process, before stepping softer a few times and stopping. "It still hurts in some places, but only when I push hard."

The brunet's smile faded a little at the blonde's statement, he figured he shouldn't be surprised considering that not all the injuries he had were healed and Vio had much more than him. Vio shifted his shoulders a little to relieve the tension, cracking his neck a little and swinging his arms and legs slightly at the end, a relieved sigh escaping his lips.

... Still...

"I'm glad you're better." He commented. The brunet wasn't sure if it was his calm, selfless side or his stormy, selfish side that was saying that, maybe both of them together, but Shadow was glad to realize that Vio, his friend and combat partner, was less stiff and feeling better than before.

The archer's answer was a simple nod, but the happiness his aura exuded unmasked what he really felt.

"Green, what the hell did you do ?!" Blue suddenly shouted, finally seeming to have overcome the shock a little.

"And can you do that again?" This time it was Red who asked, with Blue nodding several times, also wanting that to happen again.

"I-I don't know!" Green looked at his hands, then at the statue, back at his hands, and looked at the four with a startled expression. "Shadow said I was supposed to try praying for her, and then it happened!"

"Shadow what ?!" Blue turned sharply to the brunet, his aura boiling again.

"Don't look at me like that! Nothing strange how this happened to me when I prayed to her before!" That was half true, nothing like that had happened to Shadow, the most that had happened to him was his aura being gently repelled by the aura of the Goddess, like two equal magnets . "And I was just kidding about praying, I didn't think anything like that would happen!" That was also half true, in so many situations that popped into his head, being healed like that hadn't been one of them.

Maybe he should have thought of that, she's a Goddess after all ...

"The Spirits Orbs we had disappeared, maybe they'll be used to grant prayer requests, as an offering or a kind of sacrifice." Vio scratched his chin as he shared his theory, which Shadow believed was half the answer. Red snapped his fingers with a gasped and turned to Green.

"Green, did you ask the Goddess to heal us?"

"Uh ... sort of?" He scratched the back of his head in confusion. "I knew we were exhausted, hurt and confused from everything that happened ... And I kind of asked her to help us?"

"Well, she sure helped us with the wounds and tiredness!" Red laughed and started making stars and pirouettes around the group. "I never feel so much energy even when I woke up! This is amazing!"

"Unfortunately, she seems to have completely ignored the help part with the confusion." Blue complained, crossing his arms. Shadow simply chuckled, whether it is strange and confusing or not, he will not complain about the help of a Goddess.

"The blessing of the Goddess has made you that much more resilient, I see..."

The five stopped and quickly turned toward the familiar voice. The old man was on the roof, staring at the five of them through the large missing piece of roof, leaning a little on his cane. Even at this distance, Shadow could see the smile on his face.

"Here I am... Get up here, quickly! "He said before disappearing through the roof. The group looked at each other before Blue growled.

"I hate when he does that ..." The four of them looked at each other again before nodding slightly, also agreeing with that feeling. "How exactly does he want us to go up there? Climbing the walls? "

"There must be some kind of stairs around ... maybe outside." Green commented after looking around again. In fact, there was a staircase outside, but Shadow let the group find out where it were alone.

When they reached the roof, with Red suddenly quiet as he sweated cold and did his best not to look down, they walked carefully until they reached the place where the bell is, the only safe place on the roof ...

... And where the old man was waiting, with his back to them, looking at the castle covered by a darkness of cruel and murderous aura.

"OK! No more games, old man! Tell me what you want from us and what the hell is going on here! "Blue shouted rudely at the old man. Green and Red looked at their mate, ready to complain again when ...

... The old man laughed, genuinely this time.

"I see you are still as impatient as ever, Blue ... I am glad to hear that even after everything that's happened, that has not changed you." Blue stepped back, stunned. "... Or Red's kindness and good humor ..." Red tilted his head in confusion. "... Or Vio's determination and loyalty ..." Vio frowned slightly. "... Or Shadow's ability to feel what others can not feel ..." Shadow simply blinked, with no further reaction. "… But you, Link… No. Green… You have changed a lot. I almost did not recognize you when I first saw you ... "

The old man finally turned toward the group, smiling proud and sad at the same time as he looked straight at Green.

"... And I am glad you finally feel free, despite the current situation you are in ..."


	7. Interlude: Last Hope

They were again walking and looking for people in distress to help them when they felt.

They stopped and looked toward the Great Plateau, confused and scared. That was impossible! The heroes are dead! They failed in their mission, and now Hyrule was condemned to pass an age of pain and suffering to the living. There's no way the heroes can return in 'mere' 100 years!

But no matter how many hours they watched the Great Plateau from afar, waiting for the feeling to fade, the presence of the Divine Beast's chosen wasn't shaken at all. In fact, it got stronger over time.

Almost as if the Hybrid-Gerudo refused to perish again.

They couldn't believe, the Fallen Heroes are coming back to life? After all that happened? Not reincarnating, but rising from the dead? That seemed too good to be true, too strange even to them.

So they waited, standing around and eagerly waiting for the Fallen Heroes to leave. They waited, feeling the presence of the other heroes appear some time later, each awakening at their own pace, as if the awakening of the first hero slowly awakened the others. They waited, feeling the Fallen Heroes' presence clash or pull away without realizing how close they were to meeting. They waited...

... Until the last hero awakens and the Sheikah Towers rise from the earth.

It wasn't long after that, maybe a week or two, until the Fallen Heroes glided down from the Great Plateau to the ground. Hidden from their eyes, the patient observer analyzed the Fallen Heroes' reaction, surprised to see that they didn't seem sad or sorry, but rather curious and surprised by the place. As if it were the first time the Fallen Heroes had been seeing the world.

And when the Fallen Heroes came together to talk about the situation, the observer realized.

They were the heroes, but although they aren't reincarnated, they aren't the Fallen Heroes.

They noticed now, watching the heroes interact with each other. The heroes' essences are very similar to those of the Fallen Heroes, but their presences have their own unique characteristics. Not just the presence, but the attitudes and personalities themselves are similar and different from the Fallen Heroes. The Young-Goron was grunting and grumbling instead of shouting and threatening his teammates. The Zora Boy was neither depressed nor annoyingly excited, just curious as he thought about what to do. The Strange Rite was cold and quiet, looking at everything suspiciously as if at any moment something was going to attack him, but relaxed a little after the Hybrid-Gerudo said something, that, though somewhat concerned, he's seemed genuinely happy and relaxed.

And the Hero-Hylian...

... Link was talking.

Not just head movements or small hand gestures, but really speaking. Saying what he thought and asking his group about their opinion, and even after deciding to move on, the Hero-Hylian sometimes turned to his companions to talk or comment on something he found interesting.

... These heroes ... These young boys ...

... They don't know anything.

The heroes may even think they know something, but they have no idea who they are or what is coming.

These heroes aren't prepared to carry the weight the Fallen Heroes carried on their backs.

The new heroes will destroy themselves, as the Fallen Heroes destroyed themselves.

...

... Unless someone helps them.

Maybe that was crazy, maybe they shouldn't get in the way of the new heroes, but honestly? Hyrule is in chaos, and if the new heroes continue like this, they will fail like the Fallen Heroes, and the observer wasn't at all interested in whether Hyrulpe could get even worse after a second failure of the chosen heroes.

For them it was worth risking. If the new heroes fail anyway, it would not be for lack of attempt.

The observer started to approach, but stopped when they noticed the Hybrid-Gerudo shudder and beging tense, glancing around quickly and catching the attention of the rest of the group. Right. The hybrid hero was very empathic, they had forgotten that.

They needed to be more discreet...

... And maybe they needed **their** help.

Decided, the observer turned away from the new heroes, just for now, to begin their plan. They wouldn't let the new heroes make the same mistakes the Fallen Heroes did. They would make the new heroes learn that they don't have to carry all the weight of the world on their backs alone. They will try to make the chosen heroes enjoy life, so maybe they will become heroes ... No. Better people.

And as they rushed to warn **them** about the new heroes and tell the plan they had made, a spark of a long lost feeling began to warm their chest ...

... A one last hope.


	8. Chapter 7: New Old World

The Lizalfos' weapon fell to the ground. He ran to his equipment and prepared to return to the fight against his opponents, but when an arrow landed very close to his foot and two of his opponents roared at him, the Lizalfos decided it wasn't worth the risk and fled to where he saw his other companions go. With luck, they would get a new hiding place before the storm that was brewing fell.

Blue and Shadow quickly stopped screaming when they saw the last monster in the camp escape. Vio prepared his bow again, ready to actually hit the enemy, but Shadow signed with his free hand to him, and the archer reluctantly lowered his weapon, letting Lizalfos escape. Green and Red, who had already scared the enemies by their side, were collecting things from the nearby trees, mainly taking the available fruits and mushrooms.

The barbarian warrior stretched before entering the claimed camp and leaning against the wall to rest, holding his Ancient Battle Axe protectively. Green handed the ingredients he got to Shadow and started exploring the boxes and chests together with the archer, who had already come down from his lookout post after a quick inspection of the area. The dark-haired turned to the last member, who was skipping excitedly, and they both approached the fire to make a meal for the group.

"Hey, Vio." Vio turned, his body tense, Green gave a soft smile and showed a well-crafted bow made of what appears to be wood and fish bones or the like. "Want to trade?" Vio looked at the bone-ornamented bow that he took from the remains of a Bokoblin for a few seconds and looked at the warrior suspiciously before nodding, quickly switching weapons and exploring again, a little further away than before.

"Did you find anything for us?" Red asked as he stirred the pot, Green frowned slightly as he watched their new objects.

"We have some green rupees, a blue rupee, fresh fish and ... A yellow jewel, I think." He said while picking up the item, maybe it's a rupee in its raw state? He would have to search his Sheikah Slate later. "... Apart from the bow that I gave Vio and a ... Boomerang sword?" Green stared at the new weapon in confusion before shrugging. "... There's no weapons left. I think they ran away with most of the equipment in hand." Green started to turn to the brunet, ready to ask him something.

"You can have it. I think my sword can still take a few fights before it breaks." Shadow answered before Green asked the question. He looked at the chains wrapped around his wrist, the part that had broken and separated from his sword during the fight. "... I can't say the same for my chains, however."

"Urg, I can't wait to find other people. I'm tired of just seeing monsters and just meeting equipment in shrines, or being content with monster and rusty weapons. " Blue commented, opening his eyes and turning to the group. "Where the hell is this' Kakariko Village 'anyway? We've been looking for this place for weeks!"

"Don't be so dramatic, Blue, it's only been three to five days since we left the Great Plateau. Hyrule is big, and even though Rhoam said it was 'between the two great mountains', there are still plenty of places to explore. " The lancer replied while placing some fragments of Rock Salt before trying the meal he was making, his eyes suddenly shined and he asked the tanned to taste it.

"Not bad, it's really good, Red." Shadow proven it again, feeling the taste carefully. "... If we had something creamy, it would be perfect. But we are not going to be too demanding, right?" He gently ruffled the lancer's long hair, winking at the end. "Let it cook for a few more minutes now."

Green frowned before picking up the Sheikah Slate, looking at the colorless map again. He still couldn't understand why the location of Kakariko Village didn't exist on the map, but it was definitely hindering their progress. It doesn't help that the King said it was a very well hidden village.

The sound of thunder echoed where they were, which made the warriors quickly divert their attention outside the shelter. The rain started to fall lightly before it got stronger and stronger, a second thunder resounding in the shelter. A big smile appeared on Shadow's lips and he quickly approached the entrance to the shelter, extending his hand and letting it be wet by the rain.

"Red, can you handle the food yourself for now?" He asked, Red quickly waved and Blue rolled his eyes, trying and failing to contain his smile.

"Are you going to dance in the rain again?" The swordsman nodded and the barbarian snorted. "Why do you keep doing this? I think it's a waste of energy."

"I have no idea. This feeling is stronger than I can contain, and I find it a lot of fun! " The swordsman laughed and turned to his partner, extending his hand. "Vio, do you want to dance with me?"

The archer blinked at the sudden invitation before looking outside again. The rain was stronger and more violent, making the water run down the steepest places like waterfalls, taking whatever they could with the newly created currents. The wind pulling the leaves off the trees, and some branches were also taken away sometimes. The lightning was falling on the ground a few kilometers from where they were, the light seeming to cut through the sky and the sound making the earth tremble with its power and fury.

Vio tightened his jaw tightly as he felt his body tensing at the mere thought of leaving his safe shelter to go into the storm. He definitely didn't want to go out into that deadly trap outside, but he also doesn't want to end up saying something that could be rude to his partner. With no other options, he simply turned to the brunet and shook his head, still with his jaw tightly closed. Shadow simply shrugged and removed all his gear, putting it in a safe place before leaving.

The four warriors watched the swordsman spin and scream with joy as he danced outside, unfazed by the fury of nature around him. A cold wind entered the shelter where the warriors were and three warriors shuddered, the lancer and barbarian being the most affected.

"Ho-How does he do that?" Blue grunted as he approached the flame that cooked the food, looking with a certain jealousy at the dark-haired who remained unperturbed as always, even in the rain and cold wind.

"I-I don't know." Red also moved closer to the flame to keep warm, noting how Vio was unaffected by the cold and just continued to look intently at the swordsman with an expression equivalent to concern on the archer's face. "M-Maybe he and Vio are immune to the cold ..." His gaze fell on Green, who just started rubbing his hands on his arms to keep warm.

 _... Or maybe we both have zero cold resistance ..._

* * *

Green took a deep breath, smelling the still-wet earth, before continuing to walk while suppressing a yawn. Just a little while longer and he would have finished the round, and then he could answer the sleep call and leave one of his teammates to watch the place.

He looked away from the moon, frowning slightly when he noticed that it was a slightly pink color. Green hoped that this strange change did not mean that something bad was going to happen, as it usually did. Before he could get more distracted, a small noise caught his eye, and Green quickly turned around, his hand ready to pick up his weapon.

A fox was in front of him, seeming to analyze him to see if he was a threat or not. Green blinked, his posture relaxing a little before taking a step back, wondering whether to attack or ignore him. There was a reason why he, Blue and Red left the hunt for the other two: They could easily face monsters, especially when they attacked first, but none of the three had the same courage to kill an animal.

While lost in thought, the fox had decided on him, walking slowly away from him, without looking away, before running away. Green watched the little animal walk away, letting out a relieved sigh as he let his guard down, ready to go back to the camp...

... When something attacked him in the back.

Instincts he didn't even know existed reacted to the attack, making Green take a backward blow to get away from his attacker and roll quickly to get away from danger. Green then stood up, turning to his enemy with his weapon in hand, ready for combat. His enemy was a blind wolf with one eye, ready to fight or flee, snarling with an object in the mouth. A very familiar object.

Green's hand shot to his waist, and he couldn't help but look away, his eyes widening when he confirmed his fears. Before the warrior could do anything, the wolf turned and ran away from him.

Taking Green's Sheikah Slate with him.

"H-HEY! WAIT! COME BACK HERE WITH THIS ! " Green screamed desperately as he tried to follow the wolf. He tried to hit the wolf with his weapon, but the wolf dodged easily, causing the boomerang sword to return with force to the warrior and almost making him lose his balance when it slipped from his hand.

Without being able to stop to retrieve his weapon, Green continued his pursuit of the thief animal, not stopping even for a second to try to breathe, the sudden adrenaline in his body and the fear of losing sight of his most valuable asset giving him an abnormal vitality. The wolf ran faster than the warrior, but Green had a strange feeling that the animal was not running at full speed, possibly trying to get the warrior to tire while saving his energy.

Green had no idea how much time he spent chasing the thief animal, it must not have been more than a few minutes, but it seemed the scariest hours for the unarmed warrior, with all the muscles in his leg burning with effort and his heart racing, whether from running or panic. There was a terrifying moment when he was sure he had lost the animal, but Green quickly spotted it going up a hill after a stream, and he headed in that direction.

The sight with which he was received when he reached the top made him stop, surprised.

* * *

Blue was leaning against the entrance, looking outside for signs of danger while his teammates slept. He knew that Green was checking the area, but a little extra caution never hurts. Especially for them.

"... You know you don't have to keep an eye on us as if at any moment we're going to attack you, don't you? We've been on the same side for a while." He finally commented, his gaze straying to the only other person awake at that moment.

The archer's only response was to frown more, still holding his bow firmly while he sat near the sleeping dark man.

The barbarian sighed before looking away again at the night sky with some clouds. It was useless. No matter how many times he tries, it seems that every word that comes out of his mouth is some kind of subtle threat to Vio's ears. How exactly can he get along with this guy?

They are a team, as absurd as it may be, they are all connected by common goals, so the least they needed was to put up with each other until they found something better. He was already a teammate with Red shortly after they met, and he had known Green long enough to not have a problem with him joining too, even though it's kind of annoying when he plays leader. And as strange as Shadow is, he was a guy who was easy to put up with, or to ignore...

... Now Vio ...

All interaction with him was as if they were handing him one of Shadow's Remote Bombs. Fighting beside him, exchanging equipment, talking to him... Dammit, even _approaching him_ seemed to be reason enough for him to consider you a threat. His paranoia was so frightening, especially with this lack of expression, that Blue really feared the reaction of the archer when he arrived somewhere crowded with people.

Shadow shifted in his sleep, looking a little uncomfortable as he turned. Vio quickly turned to him, his expression becoming neutral as he took the leafs behind him and folded them, making an improvised pillow while gently placing it under the dark-haired's head, who sighed contentedly in his sleep. Vio watched him for a few more seconds before looking back at the barbarian with suspicion.

Blue couldn't help but roll his eyes while grunting. Of course, Shadow is the only one he treats like that. Honestly, Blue suspected that having Shadow on the team is the only reason why Vio is still with them, otherwise the archer would have already tried to kill them all or would have run as far away from them as possible. He had no idea what the swordman had done, but it must have been something impressive so that the archer wouldn't question his leader's order to follow a bunch of people he obviously doesn't trust as if he were his dog...

"Partner."

The barbarian's line of thought stopped abruptly as he blinked, turning his attention back to the source of the voice. Vio hadn't changed his position, but the little frown on his face changed from distrust to disgust, as if Blue had just insulted something he liked. And that change alone was already frightening.

Blue blinked again, a mixture of confusion and surprise.

"... What?"

"Partner." Vio repeated, his scowl deepening. "Shadow is not my leader, he is my partner. We take care of each other, whether external or internal enemies. He doesn't like to be called a 'leader'... " For the first time since they met, the archer's eyes had a spark of anger as he spoke in a lower tone. "... And. I'm. Not. His. Dog."

"..." Unconsciously, Blue moved to stand by Red's side, holding his axe firmly in his hands, ready to protect the lancer if necessary. Consciously, the barbarian was honestly speechless. He tried so often to get the archer to speak to him, and he unconsciously said out loud what he thought was what made the archer speak? What should he say?

A strained silence came into place, with the two warriors looking ready to kill themselves at that moment. The tension was interrupted by an exasperated sigh that sounded from the lancer, leaving the two armed warriors surprised, while the lancer sat and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Can we get through a single night without you getting in each other's throat? And your last comment about Vio being a Shadow's dog was pretty rude, you know? " Red asked, turning to the two armed warriors as he yawned. A moment later, the swordsman also sat down, stretching a few times before turning around.

"Yes, it was very rude." Shadow took the leafs and placed them behind the archer. Vio blinked, looking a little confused, before relaxing and leaning against the wall with the makeshift pillows.

"... Wait, were you two awake all this time ?!" Blue finally asked, feeling his blood boil for some reason.

"Just when you started to murmur, it sounded like an animal snarling, I suddenly woke up with this." The dark-haired replied with a small smile, and the lancer nodded. His expression became serious, however, when his gaze fixed on the barbarian, the red iris seemed to glow in the dark. "Now, I know you're frustrated, Blue... _But never again dare to call my partner that way, do you hear me?_ "

A shiver ran down the barbarian's spine with that look, the look that the swordman reserved for when he fought seriously. They still had no idea whether that glow was normal or not for 'whatever-the-swordsman-is', but that's a little scary the way those eyes gleam sometimes, it sure is.

Not that Blue was going to admit it out loud, but still ...

Quickly looking away, he noticed the expression that Red usually gave him when the barbarian argued with someone, which was basically the physical version of the phrase 'you deserved it'. This made Blue look outside, trying to reflect the conversation in his head as a mixture of anger and shame burned in his chest, threatening to explode externally against his teammates.

Fortunately, this time, shame spoke a little louder than anger.

"... My bad ..." He finally whispered, so low that he was almost sure that no one heard.

He was apparently mistaken, however, since when he turned to face them, Shadow's eyes had returned to normal while he smiled slightly.

"It's okay, just, please, don't do it again, okay?" When Blue nodded, Red leaned over to stand in front of him and gave him a thumbs up, and he quickly went the other way, winning a little laugh from the lancer. Shadow took the opportunity to turn to his partner, leaning towards him while speaking quietly. "He has a point, however ... We are in this together, Vio, all of us. You can't be acting like this forever, you need to trust them. "

"..." The archer looked at the other pair, with the lancer teasing the ruddy barbarian a little more until the barbarian put his hand on the lancer's face in irritation and started arguing with him, before looking at the ground. "... I know ... But I don't feel very comfortable working alongside people who have tried to kill me before ..."

"I know, and I'm sure this is normal ..." The swordsman grimaced, remembering their meeting with the trio. If he hadn't arrived before Blue almost knocked Vio over towards those rocks, maybe Vio's injuries at the time would have been even worse.

Maybe Vio wasn't even on your side now.

... No, without those kinds of thoughts now!

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Shadow tried to calm himself, ignoring the furious thunder in his chest and the burning in his eyes. This is past now, all that was a misunderstanding, they are all on the same side now. Everything is fine now.

Vio is fine now.

"... But couldn't you give it a try?" He opened his eyes and turned again to the archer, keeping a little distance between them, he knows how Vio likes his personal space. "I'm not saying to be friendly and sociable with them, I doubt you can do something like that." The dark-haired's comment was met with an empty look from the archer, causing the swordsman to laugh a little. "Just... Try to give a vote of confidence in them, after all, it was because of your vote of confidence in me that the two of us are united now, wasn't it?"

The archer's expression went from empty to thoughtful as he shifted his gaze to the floor, before gently nodding. Timidly, he dragged his left hand towards the swordman until it touched his hand, and the swordman soon held his hand gently, making the archer relax with the touch.

A synchronized noise from the four Sheikah Slate caught the attention of the warriors, who quickly stopped what they were doing to check their equipment. Due to the pulsating harmonic glow of the Sheikah Slates, it was probably some kind of update that Green must have done, possibly the map of the place. The object looked hotter as the warriors turned on the screen.

 **Update coming...**

 **Regional map extracted.**

The warriors gasped in surprise when the new region on the map was cleared, showing all the obstacles in the form of hills, mountains and rivers that this place had. That wasn't what caught their attention, however. It was the name of the house-shaped mark that Green had placed near the end of the regional map.

The name of the place they have been looking for since they left the Great Plateau.

 _Kakariko Village_


End file.
